News from Kurtz Detective Agency Cologne

Lack of Mutual Loyalty within a Corporate Consortium?

A business consortium, comprising various companies, primarily civil law partnerships, approached Kurtz Investigations Cologne because there was suspicion that one of the members was acting in a manner that violated competition rules with respect to another member. Specifically, there was a suspicion of contractual breaches involving the poaching and employment of subcontractors who might be working on construction sites in and around Gummersbach in the Oberbergischer Kreis. Additionally, the classification of the workers as subcontractors was highly questionable from a social insurance perspective, and our client, Mr Knapsack, also suspected violations of trade regulations, as the company under investigation was not registered with the relevant Chamber of Crafts for full crafts work, yet appeared to be performing such tasks.

These three points of suspicion were already sufficiently concrete that the commissioning of our detectives in Gummersbach was aimed less at clarification and more at obtaining evidence admissible in court. It should be mentioned that Mr Knapsack, as the representative of the business consortium, had personally encountered the subcontractors in question at a construction site of the target company prior to commissioning Kurtz Economic Detective Agency Cologne.

Extensive Prior Information Simplifies Detective Work

As complex as the case appeared – involving multiple companies, target individuals, points of suspicion, and a consortium at the top – the investigation work ultimately proved straightforward because many factors that would normally be variables were already known. One such factor was that the three target individuals, all from Romania, were still living in the same workers’ accommodation as during their employment for another company within Mr Knapsack’s consortium. This address provided the first starting point for our economic detectives in Gummersbach: at five o’clock in the morning on the first day of surveillance, the two deployed investigators arrived at the residence and began observation. The shutters were still closed, and work shirts hung on a clothesline on the terrace. By 7:30 a.m., no relevant activity had been observed, so one of the two surveillants moved to the known construction site and later – since nothing occurred there either – to the suspected company. While the detective could hear work noises from the production halls, no concrete evidence of the target individuals’ presence emerged.

To pursue a new lead, our private detective returned to the residence in Gummersbach to continue observation, while his colleague conducted a scripted enquiry with local residents.

Resident Interviews Confirm the Targets’ Living Status

As is typical on weekday mornings, most households did not respond to the detective’s doorbell. However, in a multi-family building two doors away, the detective was immediately successful: three male residents from different apartments independently confirmed the following points to our detective agency in Gummersbach:

• The residents of the target address were “workers” from Romania.
• They were always seen walking to and from work, despite having vehicles.
• They worked for the target company of the present investigation.
• They had been known locally for some time and, apart from the Christmas period, stayed permanently at this address in Gummersbach.

One of the three also reported having seen the group the day before.

After consulting with Mr Knapsack, our two detectives continued observation of the residence in Gummersbach. Nothing relevant occurred until late afternoon. Then a vehicle with Romanian registration arrived; two men with light luggage, dressed in neutral clothing, entered the building, after which the shutters were raised. The third target could not be identified. It appeared we had coincidentally chosen a rest or arrival day for our surveillance. In consultation with Mr Knapsack, observation was concluded at 6 p.m.

Indirect Detective Conversation with a Target Individual – in Romanian

Since Mr Knapsack had only a limited budget for clarifying the reported irregularities within his business consortium, Kurtz Investigations Cologne in Gummersbach changed approach for the next operation: rather than observation, further scripted interviews – this time directly with the target individuals – were intended to provide clarity. A Romanian national living in Germany, unknown to the targets, was recruited as an accomplice and thoroughly instructed to approach the targets with an investigator and extract information through conversation. The hope that the Romanian workers would cooperate was reinforced upon approach, as a company sign at the entrance of their residence displayed the name of the suspected company and the three target individuals. One of the men was behind the building washing a vehicle with Romanian registration. The detective’s accomplice spoke to him in Romanian, explaining that he was looking for accommodation nearby as he would soon be on assignment in the area. The friendly conversation lasted about five minutes. After departing, our accomplice summarised the conversation for our Cologne detective in German:

The target openly admitted to having worked in and around Gummersbach for years and confirmed that the current employer was the target company, for which the trio had been working for approximately one year. Our accomplice was even able to obtain a detailed description of their activities. These findings made our informant a key witness should the matter proceed to court. The operational management of our economic detective team in Gummersbach informed Mr Knapsack of the interview findings. He was so satisfied that he concluded the assignment. While Kurtz Detective Agency considered further interviews and observation to consolidate results, the business consortium had sufficient basis to enforce contractual penalties against the target company.

Note

To protect discretion and the privacy of clients and target individuals, all names and locations in this case report have been completely anonymised.

Kurtz Detective Agency Cologne

Zülpicher Straße 58D

D-50674 Köln | Cologne

Tel.: +49 221 4558 0377

E-Mail: kontakt@kurtz-detektei-koeln.de  

Web: https://www.kurtz-detektei-koeln.de/en

Google: https://g.page/kurtz-detektei-koeln

In Germany, personal rights are a carefully protected asset. The fundamental freedom of one individual only extends as far as it does not restrict the freedom of another. Where interests conflict, the hierarchy of rights is determined by a balancing of interests. For detective work in Germany, this means that a “legitimate interest” must almost always exist before private investigators such as the Kurtz detectives in Cologne can be engaged. After all, almost every investigation interferes with personal rights.

As a consequence, you generally cannot hire a private detective without a valid reason. For example, it is not permissible to have an ex-partner followed after a separation simply to find out what they are doing now. If you still have an emotional interest in a former partner, you may be better advised by tips on websites such as exzurueckexperte.de. However, if you fear that your partner is being unfaithful, there is a substantiated suspicion that your personal interests are being violated by the actions of your spouse or partner. In this case, the requirement of a legitimate interest is met, and Kurtz Investigations Cologne will be pleased to act on your behalf: +49 221 4558 0377.

No Special Powers for Detectives in Germany

Even where a legitimate interest exists, our private detectives in Cologne have no special rights when observing target persons. For example, we are not permitted to tap telephones or install spyware on a smartphone. Breaking locks or attaching tracking devices to vehicles in order to create movement profiles is also prohibited. Professionally trained and ethical detectives ensure that these boundaries are respected, as they form the basis for the high evidential value that detailed investigation reports ideally have before court.

This evidential strength is of particular importance in the context of divorce proceedings and the clarification of maintenance matters. Our detectives in Cologne can, for example, prove maintenance fraud by demonstrating that an ex-partner is living in a relationship akin to marriage and is therefore concealing maintenance-relevant information. In such cases, the entitlement to post-marital maintenance ceases (see Section 1579 (2) of the German Civil Code and Sections 1364 et seq. of the German Civil Code).

Uncovering Concealed Assets in Cases of Breach of Disclosure Obligations

In the context of court proceedings concerning maintenance, both spouses are usually required to disclose their financial circumstances. However, not all parties always comply with their disclosure obligations. Where there are doubts as to the legitimacy of maintenance claims, Kurtz Investigations Cologne can assist in uncovering the true income situation of the former partner.

This includes, among other things, evidence of undeclared secondary employment, concealed inheritances or profitable financial transactions. Even where it must be assumed that the (former) partner has committed a serious breach of duty (for example adultery), it may be advisable to instruct professional investigators to obtain evidence, as maintenance obligations can indeed be affected by such conduct. In many cases, there is an entitlement to reimbursement of the detective costs incurred by the opposing party. We are happy to advise you without obligation on +49 221 4558 0377 or by email at kontakt@kurtz-detektei-koeln.de.

Notice

Kurtz Investigations does not guarantee the accuracy or applicability of information on linked third-party websites.

Editorial: Patrick Kurtz

Kurtz Detective Agency Cologne

Zülpicher Straße 58D

D-50674 Köln | Cologne

Tel.: +49 221 4558 0377

E-Mail: kontakt@kurtz-detektei-koeln.de  

Web: https://www.kurtz-detektei-koeln.de/en

Google: https://g.page/kurtz-detektei-koeln

Even private detective agencies must meet the challenges of the digital transformation

Clients must be able to rely completely on their matters remaining confidential, that information does not leak externally. This applies both to private clients and those with a commercial background. Data security must also meet the highest standards to prevent any external intrusion via digital channels.

Fewer than 40 entries appear under “private detective” in the Cologne business directory. A small, well-defined sector, typically consisting of firms with few permanent employees who rely on freelancers during peak periods.

Google Maps makes on-site inspections largely unnecessary

Patrick Kurtz views the digital transformation in his sector positively in some respects. “Numerous new technical tools have proven highly beneficial for success rates, especially in surveillance,” explains the private detective, active in Cologne since 2013, as well as nationally and internationally. “Google Maps alone provides detectives with excellent opportunities to check and analyse surveillance areas.” On the other hand, there are significant negative financial implications for the detective profession. “Tasks that once required paid on-site inspections can now often be handled cheaply or even free via the Internet. This includes not only surveillance field analyses but also basic detective work like address investigations, which in many cases can now be easily carried out by laypersons online,” says Kurtz.

Lothar Wenzel, operating a detective agency since 1979, identifies the biggest shift due to digitalisation in advertising and the external appearance of agencies. “Around ten years ago, detective agencies generated much of their client base via print media, such as the ‘Yellow Pages.’ Today, a well-designed website and strong online presence are crucial for our sector,” notes Wenzel, whose agency is based on Engelbertstraße.

Client acquisition primarily via online presence

Patrick Kurtz shares this view. “Some former large detective firms that failed to jump on the digitalisation train early have disappeared or fallen into insignificance because client acquisition now largely happens via an advertising presence on the internet,” says the trained Germanist, who also works as an author and editor. He adds: “The added value that free access to information on the internet provides to an interested person — whether for professional or private reasons — cannot, in my view, be overestimated,” explains the investigator, whose Kurtz Investigations Cologne is located in Antoniterstraße.

However, Kurtz — who describes himself as an information junkie — also sees the negative aspects of digitalisation for the private investigation sector. In his assessment, the number of detective agencies has fallen markedly over the past two decades, as digitalisation and the tightening of data-protection rules have led to very large declines in turnover. Many long-standing and competent detectives have had to change professions, and this process unfortunately continues.

So how does one find a suitable detective agency or detective office that is the best option for the task at hand? Lothar Wenzel coined the following bon mot: “A prospective client must already be something of a detective themselves in order to find a suitably expert, professional detective agency.” It should be borne in mind that the job title “detective” is in no way legally protected. Anyone with a clean police certificate may hang a corresponding sign on their office door and print business cards — and start up without further checks. “This is a serious deficiency for which politicians must take responsibility. Especially in today’s era of heightened data protection, it is scandalous that a profession that works with highly sensitive information is not regulated,” Kurtz states emphatically.

IT Experts Also Working As Detectives

Surveillance assignments remain the most requested services. The industry requires generalists who can professionally cover a broad range of services. The more diversified the service portfolio, the more secure the business model — a business maxim that is by no means unique to the detective sector. Again Patrick Kurtz: “We offer a wide range of services and are doing very well with it. In addition to the standard work most German detectives perform — surveillance — we have extensive research capabilities and can therefore generate an unusually high share of turnover through fulfilling information requests. We also have IT experts and anti-surveillance specialists as two additional sub-divisions within the company, enabling us to provide highly specialised services such as searches for missing persons with so-called mantrailer dogs.”

Approaching a detective agency is a higher threshold than visiting a supermarket. Whether private individuals or corporate executives, everyone who instructs a detective has a problem that cannot be resolved internally; weaknesses are exposed. “This often makes cooperation with law firms the focal point,” explains Lothar Wenzel. The lawyer deals with negotiations with the detective and handles all formalities on an authorised basis. Invoices are also settled via the solicitor after the assignment — primarily for reasons of discretion.

Empathy, Experience and People Skills

“Private assignments must be handled with appropriate empathy. A mother who worries that her daughter or son has fallen in with the wrong crowd, or the betrayed spouse — they should all feel understood and well looked after by a good detective agency,” says Lothar Wenzel, who regards experience and people skills as important attributes in his profession.

It is fundamentally important to be able to empathise with clients’ emotions — a view Patrick Kurtz shares. “The threshold for engaging a detective is highly individual, but in general it is much higher for private clients than for representatives of juridical persons. That is logical since private clients have personal matters that are often very intimate. Many prefer a meeting at a neutral location rather than coming to us.” To relieve tension, he always assures clients — truthfully — that they are not alone with their situation and that countless others have presented with very similar concerns.

What to look for when choosing a reputable and qualified detective agency: Prospective clients should consider a number of points. Membership of a professional association is only one of them. Feel free to ask the local bar association — it can name companies that are suitable partners for your concern. Ask about references and take a look at the detective agency’s offices.

Prior Experience In Investigative Authorities Is The Entry Route Into The Profession

Frequently, private investigators have long prior careers in authorities such as the police, customs, the Federal Intelligence Service or — yes — even the Stasi. It is beneficial if detective training is completed with a successful IHK qualification as a specialised detective. Membership of associations is a positive indicator of seriousness, but not conclusive on its own. Claims by some detective firms of DIN or TÜV certifications are misleading because these say nothing about actual detective work but only about administrative or formal standards.

Note

The original article by Heribert Eiden appeared in “Die Wirtschaft Köln”. The emphasised text (bold) and the hyperlinks on this page may differ from the original.

Kurtz Detective Agency Cologne

Zülpicher Straße 58D

D-50674 Köln | Cologne

Tel.: +49 221 4558 0377

E-Mail: kontakt@kurtz-detektei-koeln.de  

Web: https://www.kurtz-detektei-koeln.de/en

Google: https://g.page/kurtz-detektei-koeln

AfD Connections and Social-Media Posts Raise Doubts

A Düren entrepreneur had been living separated from his ex-wife for several months; custody of the children was shared between the former partners. One day the entrepreneur was collecting his children from their mother when she introduced her new partner. The man made a poor first impression on the entrepreneur. In appearance and demeanour he seemed like a typical thug, the client told our private-detective unit in Düren during the initial briefing. Concerned for his children and for his ex-wife, the entrepreneur carried out some online research into the new partner. He found links to various xenophobic and generally minority-hostile actions and comments. He also noticed that a person with the same name in the wider area was the press spokesman of a local branch of the “Alternative für Deutschland” (AfD). Whether this right-wing milieu could be attributed to the new partner or perhaps only to one or several name-sakes, our client could not determine from the available information.

Because much of the material found was inflammatory, suggested a willingness to use violence and generally radiated a large dose of hate, the entrepreneur feared that such a person might have regular contact with and influence over his children. He therefore commissioned our detectives in Düren to check the new partner of his ex-wife. In particular, our client wanted to know whether the researched right-wing extremist was the same person.

On an AfD Press Spokesman’s Facebook Profile

As the available data on the subject was relatively sparse – the only confirmed information being the name – and an official authority search in this constellation promised no rapid success, the researcher assigned by our Düren office first collated the online information available for that name. The aim was to sort how many different name-sakes existed in total and which information belonged to whom. Early on the investigator noticed that a person of the same name from the Düren area had long served as a police officer. That this person might also be the AfD press spokesman could not be ruled out, since the Alternative for Germany is popular in some police circles. Nevertheless, the identity still had to be confirmed.

With regard to the far-right connections, our private detective in Düren quickly found a Facebook profile where a person of the same name was very active, although no photograph of the face was provided, so identity could not be established at a glance. The profile featured memorable self-descriptions such as “not a dreamy social romantic”, copious shared reports about “foreign criminality” (many from questionable sources), and AfD campaign banners. After studying this profile, there were hardly any doubts that the unabashed xenophobe was the AfD press spokesman the client had encountered in his research. But was the press spokesman also a police officer? And above all: was he the new partner of the entrepreneur’s ex-wife?

Meetings with AfD Informants

To resolve the question of identity, our private- and corporate-detective unit in Düren had two advantages: a photograph of the subject (that is, the new partner) and contacts among AfD informants. The researcher arranged short-notice meetings with two of these informants to obtain more precise statements. Neither could identify the person in the photo; they did not know him. However, when asked about the name, both informants replied that the name was familiar to them. It belonged to the press spokesman of a local AfD branch, an active member who often overstepped the mark and was therefore internally controversial. The corporate detective from Düren then asked whether this press spokesman worked for the police. “No — he posts too much on social networks; he would immediately get into trouble at the police,” replied the first informant. Thus it was confirmed that we were dealing with two different people. But which one was the subject — the party press spokesman or the policeman?

To settle the matter, the private investigator arranged, via his contacts, a staged meeting with the AfD press spokesman. At first glance it was clear that this was not the subject shown in the photograph. Therefore, the xenophobic postings associated with the researched name could be attributed to the press spokesman rather than to the subject.

A Casual Question to the Children Provides Clarity

To find out whether the policeman was at least the subject, Kurtz Detective Agency advised the client to unobtrusively ask his children or the ex-wife about the new man’s occupation. This seemed a father’s right and would avoid potentially unnecessary investigative costs. Indeed, the client learned this way that the subject did, in fact, work as a police officer. Given that the physical appearance of the subject matched the researched police officer’s age and the name was not extremely common, a chance coincidence appeared unlikely and the entrepreneur was satisfied. At least the client’s gravest concerns were ultimately allayed by the investigation.

Note

This case report and the judgements contained therein are not intended as a comment on or critique of the AfD, but rather as a reaction to the generalised xenophobia displayed by the purported subject.

All names and locations have, of course, been completely anonymised to fully protect the client and the subject.

Kurtz Detective Agency Cologne

Zülpicher Straße 58D

D-50674 Köln | Cologne

Tel.: +49 221 4558 0377

E-Mail: kontakt@kurtz-detektei-koeln.de  

Web: https://www.kurtz-detektei-koeln.de/en

Google: https://g.page/kurtz-detektei-koeln

The Pickpockets from Within

It is said that money stops friendship. When someone has a particularly large amount – which is usually the case in companies – it awakens desires that can threaten the existence of both perpetrators and victims. We spoke with someone who knows this world. With him, we delved into the day-to-day work of an economic detective.

In essence, it is a fundamentally sad business: it is about mistrust, deception, theft and repeated fraud. "Whether in private matters or in business," explains Patrick Kurtz, owner since 2013 of the eponymous detective agency in Antoniterstrasse, Cologne. In these cases, fraud often occurs alongside infidelity, sick leave and expense abuse, privately claimed fuel receipts, up to (data) theft and embezzlement. In most cases, the circle of offenders is relatively small: predominantly employees. "We handled a case where the best friend and oldest employee of the company owner, together with his son, falsified invoices, pocketed the amounts illicitly, and meanwhile set up a competing business using the company vehicles – including secret client poaching," Kurtz recounts.

Meeting Again – on the Internet

Entrepreneurs often receive tips, after which they find their own products being sold online. A company in the automotive supplier sector discovered products with its unique QR codes on the internet, and conducted test purchases to ensure certainty. In 2014, the Ford works were affected on a large scale: cockpits and other accessories were intended for export abroad.

North Rhine-Westphalia Leads in Every Respect

Once goods have left the company, numerous risks from freight theft arise. Unfortunately, it is often the employees themselves who use construction materials or consumer goods for personal use or resale. "It is relatively common for entire lorry loads, including trailers, to be stolen," reports Kurtz. Drivers are often incapacitated with gas while sleeping through slightly open windows, particularly in summer. Because numerous fences and other accomplices are usually involved, such investigations are often very extensive. Even in these cases, North Rhine-Westphalia unfortunately leads in the crime statistics, Kurtz notes. Damage in these cases often amounts to high five-figure sums, but fortunately the success rates are also very high. The specialist responsible for these offences at Kurtz Detective Agency is a former independent logistics entrepreneur with extensive expertise ranging from personnel to accounting.

How Does One Become a Detective?

"Strictly speaking, anyone can go on the hunt," says Kurtz. He regrets that there is no mandatory formal training for this profession. Those without proper training, he explains, can potentially put themselves and their clients at risk of legal consequences. A reputable provider can be recognised by relevant certificates, as well as by a transparent pricing structure. Many of his detectives are former security professionals from investigative authorities such as customs, police, and even the Federal Intelligence Service (BND). Most detectives work freelance – "lone wolves," Kurtz describes. Unfortunately, the study of criminalistics was abolished in Germany in the mid-1990s, and profiling is still in its infancy in the country. He considers himself particularly fortunate that, for example, his chief investigator for IT offences is both a graduate criminalist and an IT expert. Kurtz notes: "Such expertise is extremely rare today!" After completing a degree in European literature – where detective stories certainly played a significant role – and attending the Berlin Security Academy, Kurtz founded his detective agency, which now has branches in several German cities and uncovers around 500 cases per year – "successfully," as he emphasises.

Kurtz Detective Agency Cologne

Zülpicher Straße 58D

D-50674 Köln | Cologne

Tel.: +49 221 4558 0377

E-Mail: kontakt@kurtz-detektei-koeln.de  

Web: https://www.kurtz-detektei-koeln.de/en

Google: https://g.page/kurtz-detektei-koeln

No Rent, No Apartment

Ms Much, until recently a tenant of our client, resisted when her landlady actually dared to terminate the tenancy without notice after three months of non-payment. Those who resist often see themselves as morally justified. Thus, Ms Much considered it entirely appropriate – and, of course, extremely clever – not to disclose her new address to the landlady. According to her, the landlady could figure out how to send her claims herself.

What Ms Much did not anticipate: the landlady took matters into her own hands by hiring our detectives (+49 221 4558 0377) to observe the tenant during her move and follow her to the new address. The resulting detective costs would subsequently be added to the original claim, creating a significant additional burden for the defiant tenant.

Apartment intrusion for terrace use?

As the subject had no personal vehicle and usually relied on public transport, one of our two assigned business detectives purchased a day ticket to ensure seamless surveillance without interruption for any situational ticket purchase. Upon arrival at Ms Much’s previous residence, two women were observed carrying items out of the house and into an Opel Fiesta. Since our client had no photo of the subject, it could not yet be confirmed whether one of the women was Ms Much. However, the client would arrive thirty minutes later to conduct the handover, allowing our investigators to verify the identity.

Before the landlady arrived, our surveillance team noticed the two women repeatedly on a top-floor balcony. According to the client, this apartment was vacant, and the tenant, previously residing on the ground floor, should not have had access. The apartment was normally locked. Fortunately, the investigators documented the terrace visit photographically, potentially creating grounds for a criminal complaint for trespassing.

Tracking to a new address in Pulheim-Sinnersdorf

After the handover, our client confirmed that the blonde woman (the other being brunette) was the subject. About one and a half hours after the start of surveillance, the women left in the Ford Fiesta, and our detectives followed. The journey went from the old apartment in Pulheim to Chorweiler, where various small DIY items were purchased at a hardware store. The vehicle then proceeded to a multi-family residence in Pulheim-Sinnersdorf. The women, with a male assistant, unloaded the items into the building.

To determine whether the subject would remain at the address or visit another location, our surveillance team stayed until late evening. The male and the Fiesta driver left the property in the afternoon without the subject and did not return by the end of the operation.

Absurd pseudonym crowns the charade

Ms Much was seen several times at an open window on the second floor, allowing our detectives to identify the unit. This would be crucial for delivering claims, as upon checking the doorbells and mailboxes after dusk, the subject’s name was nowhere listed. While not unusual for a new tenant, our investigators also verified the unit name against online profiles. The unusual pseudonym revealed multiple social media profiles with her photos, indicating she used the alias both online and offline. The chosen name was presumably meant to be “cool”; clever it was not, as finding a common name like “Lisa Schmidt” or “Maria Müller” online is much harder than “Pussy Maxpower” (approximate adaptation of the real pseudonym).

With knowledge of the new address, the exact apartment unit, and the pseudonym, our client could finally serve her claims (the subject did not leave the property during surveillance). Whether any collectible assets existed in case of continued non-payment remained uncertain, given the Ford Fiesta used as the moving vehicle.

To maintain discretion and protect the rights of clients and subjects, all names and locations in this case report have been altered beyond recognition.

Kurtz Detective Agency Cologne

Zülpicher Straße 58D

D-50674 Köln | Cologne

Tel.: +49 221 4558 0377

E-Mail: kontakt@kurtz-detektei-koeln.de  

Web: https://www.kurtz-detektei-koeln.de/en

Google: https://g.page/kurtz-detektei-koeln

Debtor Tracing Following Fraud by Inducement

A court-enforceable debt title in the six-figure range and total losses amounting to several million – these were the circumstances under which our detective agency for Leverkusen was contacted by a local company. This company had entered into a number of seemingly reputable goods supply transactions with a Mr Loope, who appeared to have a successful track record and numerous well-performing businesses. The client paid the majority of the invoice amount in advance, but the goods were never delivered, as Mr Loope’s company allegedly became insolvent; a corresponding insolvency application did indeed exist.

The injured company clearly regarded itself as the victim of a perfidious fraud by inducement, also known as entering fraud. This type of fraud occurs when goods or services are ordered even though the purchaser knows from the outset that they cannot or will not pay, or when payments are accepted for services or goods that one knows will never be provided or delivered. As a service provider, our private detective agency in Leverkusen also has to deal with fraudsters of this kind from time to time when collecting its own receivables, so this is by no means an isolated case. However, the commercial scale and the criminal energy involved in the present case are exceptional:

Commercial Insolvency Fraud via a Thicket of Sham Companies

The objective of the investigations by our detectives in Leverkusen was to locate Mr Loope, whose liability had been established by a court in absentia, as he could not be traced by either the client or the authorities, since all available data led nowhere. The research proved lengthy and complex, as our economic investigators had to fight their way through a network of sham companies. The difficulties began with the name alone, as the internet, police registers and even the commercial register showed various different spellings of both the first and last name for what was obviously the same person, as well as differing dates and places of birth and vast numbers of alleged residential addresses.

Our detective team in Leverkusen created a graphic showing the various companies, addresses and further persons linked to Mr Loope. This graphic expanded steadily over the course of the investigations until it eventually covered an area of approximately eleven square metres and resembled a spider’s web, as cross-connections emerged everywhere and were marked accordingly. In total, the overview comprised 78 companies in which the target person was currently or formerly registered as managing director or authorised signatory, 134 company addresses relating to these entities, 69 insolvency applications, 8 individuals who repeatedly appeared together with Mr Loope and were clearly firmly integrated into the activities, six different spellings of the target person’s name, and 27 alleged current or former residential addresses. This research was a mammoth task – firstly the compilation of all this information, secondly its evaluation including the establishment of cross-links, and thirdly the verification of the data.

Physical Verification of the Information Identified

Further measures undertaken by our economic detective agency in Leverkusen included:

• On-site verification of all researched residential addresses relating to the target person: Mr Loope had never been seen at a single one of them, and at almost all of them various people had already asked about him on numerous occasions. Nevertheless, these physical checks did reveal or establish various additional company links.

• On-site verification of 36 company addresses (more was not possible for budgetary reasons), preferably those with a high overlap between different companies and persons recorded within the network (33 in Germany, 2 in Switzerland (three further addresses in the letterbox-company canton of Zug could safely be disregarded), 1 in Austria): At none of these locations were there any employees; in most cases they were purely letterboxes, occasionally there was a basement room used as an office, and at seven of the addresses there were no indications whatsoever of the company allegedly based there.

• Verification of 24 addresses of persons linked within the network (links via company shareholdings, signing authorities, activities as liquidators, domain ownerships and others, in some cases also persons related by family ties): At none of these addresses were the individuals sought personally known, although, as with Mr Loope, enquiries had been made there on numerous occasions.

Also noteworthy: Despite the criminal characteristics of this corporate construct already being obvious at this stage of the investigations, several of the individuals involved appeared in respectable positions, including chairpersons of cultural associations, supporters of sports clubs, lawyers and a local politician.

Methodology of This Commercial Economic Fraud

The business model behind these massively inflated fraudulent activities apparently relied on the following factors, Variant 1:

• Establishment of new companies for the purported execution of lucrative projects
• Recruitment of investors or customers to procure financial resources
• Silent refusal to provide the agreed services and transfer of the investment sums to accounts of other companies within the network
• Opening of insolvency proceedings | dissolution or deletion of the subsequently over-indebted companies or takeover by the same recurring liquidators

Variant 2:

• Establishment of new companies for the actual execution of projects by investors
• Implementation of the projects by third-party companies
• Non-payment of the third-party companies, resulting in claims by those companies against the project companies
• Opening of insolvency proceedings | dissolution or deletion of the over-indebted project companies or takeover by the same recurring liquidators

Variant 3:

• Establishment of new trading companies
• Recruitment of customers to procure financial resources
• Deliberate over-indebtedness through non-delivery of paid-for goods
• Opening of insolvency proceedings | dissolution or deletion of over-indebted companies or takeover by the same recurring liquidators

Through the corporate links between the individual persons and companies, the company founders and or investors are able to conceal their financial gains from the insolvency assets.

Legend-Based Meeting with the Sought-After Economic Fraudster

After uncovering all these backgrounds, our private detectives in Leverkusen ultimately succeeded in identifying a project company of Mr Loope that was actively seeking investors and provided contact details that were genuinely reachable. Using the legend of business initiation and investment projects, a meeting with the target person was arranged in a medium-sized town in Rhineland-Palatinate, followed by several hours of surveillance in order to determine where Mr Loope lived. Unfortunately, however, he did not lead us to his home, but to a hotel – clearly, the town in question was not his place of residence.

Given the scope of the criminal network and the amount of the debt title against the target person, our economic detectives in Leverkusen strongly advised the commissioning company to continue the surveillance of Mr Loope without interruption, even though this would naturally incur high detective costs. Unfortunately, the clients showed no patience, contacted the authorities and had the fraudster temporarily detained. The result: Not only was the target person allowed to leave the police station a few hours later unhindered after providing a false address, but he also claimed to possess no seizable assets and therefore to be unable to satisfy the debt title. Mr Loope was allegedly insolvent and had long since opened the corresponding proceedings. It is conceivable that continued surveillance by our Leverkusen detectives might sooner or later have led to seizable assets such as a villa, vehicles or other physical property, which could then have been seized, provided that no further transfers or other tricks to conceal the true ownership structures had been employed there as well.

What If …

Ultimately, our detective agency in Leverkusen fulfilled the assignment objective of locating the debtor. Nevertheless, the overall outcome was of course not satisfactory, as the individual once again evaded access by the authorities and the client immediately after the investigations, and thus no seizure or voluntary payment took place.

In all honesty, it must be said that even with continued knowledge of the whereabouts, successful enforcement of the titled claim would have remained questionable, because firstly further concealment practices were to be expected and secondly many bailiffs (by no means all) unfortunately work more than negligently. Although they are legally endowed with extensive powers and may even forcibly open residential premises to enforce legal claims, these public servants also suffer from the notorious civil servant ailment known as laziness. The more effort required, the more strenuous and inconvenient the day. Consequently, it is sometimes sufficient for a debtor merely to claim that they have nothing if they encounter these black sheep of the profession, as such assertions are not checked by them. When one experiences such events, as we at Kurtz Investigations for Leverkusen have done, and has conversations with absurdly unmotivated public officials, one may legitimately ask whether choosing to combat crime rather than commit it is indeed the more sensible side – economically, certainly not.

All names and locations have of course been completely anonymised in the interests of protecting the client and the target person.

Kurtz Detective Agency Cologne

Zülpicher Straße 58D

D-50674 Köln | Cologne

Tel.: +49 221 4558 0377

E-Mail: kontakt@kurtz-detektei-koeln.de  

Web: https://www.kurtz-detektei-koeln.de/en

Google: https://g.page/kurtz-detektei-koeln

Sherlockian Methods and Their Results

In two previous articles, our detectives already reported on the history of the Sherlockians and their game of uncovering the “true” Sherlock Holmes hidden between the lines, as well as on the viral marketing of the Sherlock “brand” on the World Wide Web. In this – for now – final part of the series on the Sherlockian game, we focus on the reading habits and methods of the Sherlockians. While many enthusiastic fiction readers identify closely with the protagonists of their favourite books and try to recognise their own traits and quirks in these beloved characters, the Sherlockians deliberately and consciously approach the London forefather of our detectives in Cologne with objectivity. Simply having opinions or beliefs is not appreciated in Sherlock Holmes societies; every statement must be substantiated and detailed using texts from the original Holmes canon by Arthur Conan Doyle – or from Dr Watson.

In the previous article, we already mentioned that Christopher Morley researched an exact birth date for the master detective, and of course the Sherlockians possess far more knowledge than the classic canon texts reveal during a casual, non-Sherlockian reading. Like our private detectives from Cologne, the enthusiastic Holmes fans study the original texts as if they were solving a case themselves – namely, the search for Sherlock’s identity. At times, they resemble a collaboratively investigating detective team, yet they also display the traditional traits of members of a literary faculty in terms of textual analysis and extended discussion. While older Sherlock Holmes societies often insist on using only the 60 original Doyle/Watson texts as source material, clubs founded by younger members, frequently active online in forums or communal blogs, also incorporate sequels, adaptations, film versions, and other interpretations into their analyses.

Own Deduction Instead of Simple Reading and Summarising

As Asher-Perrin makes clear in her article, the fascination with the idiosyncratic London detective and his faithful friend Dr Watson is fed in part by the sometimes inconsistent and even contradictory details in the stories. Thus Watson is commonly called John, yet in one story (The Man With the Twisted Lip) his wife Mary refers to him as James; everyone knows that he walks with a stick because of a war wound and sometimes suffers pain, but where exactly he sustained the wound is unclear: it shifts from story to story, from leg to shoulder — a fact that sets Sherlockians’ noses twitching with excitement. Had the Holmes tales — which continue to inspire our detective agency in Cologne in their approach to new cases — been published as a single continuous book rather than episodically over some forty years, Doyle — or, in the Sherlockian universe, Watson — would have had to strive for greater continuity, depriving readers of much scope for creative deduction. After all, imagination is the greatest strength of enthusiastic readers, and nothing would constrain it more than an excess of predetermined detail. Or, in Christopher Morley’s words: “What other body of modern literature is esteemed as much for its errors as its felicities?”

Because the Holmes tales are episodic, readers often do not know the precise chronological order of events; although dates are sometimes given, in other cases only a sentence or even a single word lays the groundwork for a trail that supposedly leads to the “definitive” truth. That this truth is an unattainable utopia — since Conan Doyle can no longer comment on his invention — is exactly the point of the game: every new reader discovers fresh points that seem important and decisive and can thus rekindle the debate. The fact that Doyle notoriously paid little heed to continuity and precise detail — in prefaces to his short-story collections he often mixed up dates and could not recall the correct titles of stories — plays into the Sherlockians’ hands: contradictory statements in individual stories may, like the anonymisation of some clients, be interpreted as deliberate interventions or manipulations by Watson in the chronology of events, thereby expanding the scope for interpretation. Doyle himself commented on historical continuity as follows:

“It has always seemed to me that so long as you produce your dramatic effect, accuracy of detail matters little. I have never striven for it and I have made some bad mistakes in consequence. What matter if I hold my readers?” (The Straight Dope)

How Are the Books’ Inconsistencies Explained?

If Watson writes that The Adventure of Wisteria Lodge takes place in 1892, even though Holmes supposedly plunged down the Reichenbach Falls and died that year, loyal Sherlockians explain this by attributing the discrepancy to Watson’s poor handwriting being miscopied by his printer. If Holmes in A Case of Identity speaks of conducting chemical experiments with “Bisulfate of Baryta”, chemists are baffled because no such chemical is known, which prompts debate as to the substance actually meant and suggests either that Watson misremembered or that the substance was known under a different name at the time and needs to be “rediscovered” (in the internet age it is easily discoverable that this is an archaic name for hydrogen sulfate). The Sherlockians investigate — like Holmes himself and like our private and corporate investigators in Cologne: for example, if Holmes claims that an annual income of £60 enables a woman to live comfortably, participants in the game examine the cost of living in late-19th-century London.

Even the simple disappearance of a man in A Case of Identity on “last Friday”, the 14th of the month, sends Sherlockians such as William S. Baring-Gould into raptures: to pin down the exact Friday and thus the start of the inquiry, he defines a timeframe from March 1881 (when Holmes and Watson first met) to September 1891 (the publication date of that case), in which only four months feature a 14th that fell on a Friday. Of those four months three are excluded because Holmes was involved in other cases at the time. The remaining month must thus be October 1887. Because Watson reads of the case in the morning paper, the investigation could not have begun on a Sunday; likewise the mild weather on the two investigation days leads Baring-Gould to consult the meteorological reports and conclude that the inquiries took place on Tuesday 18 and Wednesday 19 October 1887.

By the way, Dorothy Sayers, the crime novelist, resolves Watson’s Christian name confusion: his name remains John H. Watson, but the middle initial “H.” stands for “Hamish”, a Scottish form of “James”. His English wife therefore calls him James.

Fictional Sleuths and Real Detectives

Like their great exemplar, the Sherlockians examine every seemingly trivial question thoroughly: How many times was Watson married? Did Sherlock study at Cambridge or Oxford? Who were the Baskervilles and where was their estate? What did Sherlock do in the three years after The Final Problem, a period in which Watson believed him dead? Our detectives in Cologne enjoy joining the inquiries into the fictional figure of Sherlock Holmes, but their primary concern remains the wellbeing of real people. If you have developed an interest in the Sherlockian Game, simply google “Sherlockian” or “the Sherlockian Game” and you will be drawn into a world full of mysteries. Those with a good command of English will enjoy it even more. If, however, you have a less fictional problem that our private investigators in Cologne could resolve, contact us free of charge to learn how we would approach your specific case: +49 221 4558 0377.

Bibliography

• Asher-Perrin, Emily. Do Your Own Detecting: Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of Tricky Continuity. Tor.com. http://www.tor.com/2011/12/28/do-your-own-detecting-sherlock-holmes-and-the-adventure-of-tricky-continuity/
• Roylott, Miss. Validity of Interpretation in Sherlockiana: A Philosophy of Art Paper. Archive.org. https://web.archive.org/web/20050923120827/http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/8950/holmes/validity.htm
• The Straigt Dope Science Advisory Board. Did Sherlock Holmes really exist? The Straight Dope. http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2088/did-sherlock-holmes-really-exist

Author: Maya Grünschloß PhD

Kurtz Detective Agency Cologne

Zülpicher Straße 58D

D-50674 Köln | Cologne

Tel.: +49 221 4558 0377

E-Mail: kontakt@kurtz-detektei-koeln.de  

Web: https://www.kurtz-detektei-koeln.de/en

Google: https://g.page/kurtz-detektei-koeln

Sherlock Holmes: Synonymous with the Detective Profession

As we know from Parts 1 and 2 of our series The Private Detective in Literature, the figure of the typical detective is still often attributed to the English, even though the concept owes more to the Americans and the French. In today’s third part, we will see why this is the case. As one might expect, it can only be about one person: Sherlock Holmes! It is rare that a literary figure is so successful and original that it becomes a synonym for an entire profession – and has been so for almost one and a half centuries. But why is that? Gerrit Koehler from Kurtz Detective Agency Cologne investigates this question.

Inspiration from Contemporary Greats: Poe, Émile Gaboriau, James M. Barrie, and Robert Louis Stevenson

Authors Poe and Gaboriau had already achieved great success in the mid-19th century with their detectives Dupin and Lecoq, establishing the new genre of detective fiction and undoubtedly impressing a young Scottish civil servant’s son from Edinburgh in his childhood: Arthur Conan Doyle, later “Sir”. Born in 1859, he was sent at the age of nine to a Jesuit boarding school in England, as his mother wanted to protect him from his depressive and alcoholic father. The dark and often lonely mood of these years would later be reflected in his stories, but it was the years after that most shaped him: back in Edinburgh, Doyle pursued medical studies at the local university to become a physician. Still inspired by Poe and others, he developed a fascination for the world of stories and narratives. Even at boarding school, he demonstrated his ability to tell exciting and original stories – a talent inherited from his beloved mother. This brought him into contact with like-minded peers at university, such as the Scots James M. Barrie and Robert Louis Stevenson, who later achieved their own literary successes (Peter Pan and Treasure Island / Jekyll & Hyde) and with whom he remained lifelong friends.

Formative Influence: Dr Joseph Bell from Edinburgh

As a medical student already drawn to literature, Doyle met someone who, though devoted to medicine rather than literature, profoundly influenced him and even inspired his most important main character: Dr Joseph Bell, lecturer and teacher of Conan Doyle at the University of Edinburgh. Although a physician, Bell was the first to bring the method of deduction, careful observation, and reasoning into criminology. Doyle later said that what annoyed him in contemporary crime stories was how often the investigator stumbled upon the solution by chance or how the process of reasoning was omitted entirely. Through his work with Joe Bell, Doyle conceived of integrating scientific analysis into detective work. Bell’s personal and literary influence on the young medical student and author Doyle cannot be overestimated, and Kurtz Detective Agency Cologne has already dedicated a feature to Dr Bell for this reason.

Doyle’s Fee for the First Holmes Novel: £25

In 1882, Conan Doyle completed his studies and began practising medicine, including on a whaler (“Fell into the Polar Sea three times today”). Writing remained his hobby, and he repeatedly drew on personal experiences and acquaintances in his stories, as well as his reading experiences. This blend of contemporary crime and horror stories on one hand, and Dr Bell’s modern scientific analysis on the other, laid the foundation for a character that would significantly contribute to the popularity of detective fiction: Sherlock Holmes made his first appearance in November 1887 in A Study in Scarlet.

Prior to this, Doyle had gained experience publishing short stories in the then-popular literary magazines, and the first Holmes novel, A Study in Scarlet, was initially published not as a book but in Beeton’s Christmas Annual, a magazine featuring stories of all kinds. Doyle wrote the novel at age 27 in just three weeks. After being rejected by several other publishers and magazines, Beeton’s paid Doyle a mere £25 for the story and all rights to it – he received no further payment later! As is well known, this would quickly change with the subsequent detective stories featuring Sherlock Holmes. Anyone fortunate enough to still have that old magazine at home is lucky: when first issued in 1887 for a shilling, one of the rare surviving copies of Sherlock Holmes’ debut sold at Sotheby’s in 2007 for $156,000.

Holmes and Watson: The Beginning of a Legendary Friendship

A Study in Scarlet already contains almost everything that constitutes the myth of Sherlock Holmes to this day and prompts journalists in interviews about the real work of Kurtz Detective Agency Cologne to discuss the fictional detective: Dr Watson is introduced as the narrator, events are presented as real facts rather than fiction – a device popular in classical Victorian literature. In homage to the thrilling crime stories of the era – Patrick Kurtz’ / Aidan Johnstone’s Livingstones Mahnung – this stylistic device is also used, including a cameo by Doyle’s inspiration, Dr Joseph Bell.

In A Study in Scarlet, Watson meets his future friend Holmes in 1881: returning from the Afghanistan War and searching for lodgings, military doctor John Watson learns from an acquaintance that a certain Sherlock Holmes is seeking someone (today, a flatmate) to share rent at 221b Baker Street – though he should beware of Holmes’ eccentric behaviour. At Doyle’s time, the address was fictional, as Baker Street was numbered only up to 85; today it exists and is a popular site for Sherlock Holmes pilgrims (Sherlock Holmes Museum, Baker Street, London). Watson and Holmes meet, Watson moves in with Holmes – the start of a wonderful friendship! Watson learns that Holmes, brilliant in the sciences, works as a “Consulting Detective” and that the “guests” constantly coming and going are clients. Their landlady, later known as Mrs Hudson in The Sign of Four, appears, as does Inspector G Lestrade, who often mocks Holmes’ unconventional methods but repeatedly relies on his assistance.

Typical Holmes Clichés: Not Doyle, but Illustrator Sidney Paget

Other key figures and elements do not appear in A Study in Scarlet but are introduced in later short stories: Holmes’s supposed great love, Irene Adler, makes her sole appearance in 1891’s A Scandal in Bohemia; Holmes’s nemesis Professor James Moriarty first appears in 1893’s The Final Problem. The visual stereotypes associated with Holmes were not fixed from the outset: the magnifying glass appears in the first tale, but the deerstalker cap and Inverness cape are later accretions. The cap is not explicitly mentioned in the stories but was popularised by illustrator Sidney Paget, who illustrated 37 Holmes short stories and The Hound of the Baskervilles. The Inverness cape is likewise an invention of Paget’s artistic licence rather than Doyle’s text.

The pipe often depicted as the exotic “Calabash” model is described in the stories in various ways but never specified as that particular type. The Calabash shape became associated with Holmes through theatrical productions at London’s Royal Court Theatre in the 1890s, where a large, bowl-shaped pipe was preferred because it was visible from the stage — hardly discreet, and thus somewhat ill-suited to covert surveillance. Our detectives in Cologne can confirm that unobtrusive behaviour has always been and remains essential for observation, interviews and research.

Deduction, Inference and Observation — Modern Detectives Have Learned Much from Holmes

A Study in Scarlet drew the attention of an American publisher seeking a crime story for a new literary magazine. In 1890 The Sign of Four appeared in Lippincott’s Monthly Magazine. Both novels enjoyed only modest success until July 1891, when the first Holmes short story, A Scandal in Bohemia, appeared in The Strand Magazine, then Britain’s leading literary periodical. Sidney Paget’s illustrations for The Strand did much to cement the enduring image of Holmes. Doyle became famous within three and a half years of the first Holmes novel and published further stories almost monthly, all of which enjoyed great popularity.

With increasing renown Doyle never concealed his admiration for Dr Joe Bell and in 1892 wrote to him acknowledging Bell as his inspiration: “It will be quite plain to you to whom I owe Sherlock Holmes. On the principles of deduction, inference and observation which you have instilled in us I have tried to create a man.” The often sombre atmosphere and the tense narratives contribute substantially to Sherlock Holmes’s continuing popularity. Above all, however, it is the meticulous work, the reading of every minute clue and the deductive reasoning from facts that has inspired detectives such as the private investigators at Kurtz Detective Agency Cologne for over 130 years. The aim is clear: to bring every case to a conclusion as swiftly and thoroughly as the famous model.

Author: Gerrit Koehler

Kurtz Detective Agency Cologne

Zülpicher Straße 58D

D-50674 Köln | Cologne

Tel.: +49 221 4558 0377

E-Mail: kontakt@kurtz-detektei-koeln.de  

Web: https://www.kurtz-detektei-koeln.de/en

Google: https://g.page/kurtz-detektei-koeln

Patrick Kurtz, owner of Kurtz Detective Agency Cologne, gave a brief interview to Freddie Schürheck from WDR 1LIVE in Cologne on the topic of “Exposure.” The broadcast aired on 27 September 2015.

Note: Unfortunately, Kurtz Detective Agency Cologne cannot publish the audio recording of the interview here, as we do not have the broadcaster’s permission.

What Cases Does a Private Detective in Cologne Handle?

Freddie Schürheck: “Today on 1LIVE we’re talking about exposing. And Patrick Kurtz makes his living exposing. No, he’s not a pest controller; he’s basically a professional trench coat wearer. He’s a private detective in Cologne. Hello, Patrick.”

Patrick Kurtz: “Hello!”

Freddie Schürheck: “What do people want when they come to you and give you an assignment? What kinds of cases do you handle?”

Patrick Kurtz: “Extremely varied cases. The cliché about infidelity in relationships comes up quite often, as does business infidelity – that is, competitive violations or even feigned illness. It’s a very broad spectrum of different cases.”

Feigned Illness | Surveillance by Kurtz Detective Agency Cologne

Freddie Schürheck: “Okay, so feigned illness – the boss comes to you and says, ‘Karl-Heinz is skipping work, he has a doctor’s note, I’m paying him sick pay, but he’s not actually sick.’ How do you find out if that’s true?”

Patrick Kurtz: “Quite classically through surveillance, meaning observation of the person. If the target is really doing something inappropriate during the observation period, the employer usually has the right to terminate the employee without notice.”

Freddie Schürheck: “So, for example, if I pretend to be sick at my job at 1LIVE, have a doctor’s note, but I’m really just strolling through a park in Cologne, you’re sitting somewhere behind a hedge, taking a photo, and I get into trouble?”

Patrick Kurtz: “Not necessarily. If you’re just walking in the park, that’s not behaviour contrary to recovery; it can even promote recovery. That is not a violation of employment law.”

Freddie Schürheck: “But if I’m drinking alcohol and partying, then you take a photo?”

Patrick Kurtz: “Then that would be relevant for our Cologne detectives.”

How Does a Detective Observe Unobtrusively?

Freddie Schürheck: “If you’re sitting in your car outside a house observing – some elderly neighbour is always at the window watching. What do you do if they notice and approach you? You must do something to avoid being exposed.”

Patrick Kurtz: “Especially in spring, and even in winter, I always have a blanket in the car; otherwise, you freeze your backside off. You also have a ‘cover story’: if someone addresses you, you can act like a homeless person and say, ‘My wife kicked me out, so I had to sleep in the car. I wasn’t really sure where else to go.’ That’s an example, at least in the early hours of the day during surveillance by detectives.”

Guilty Conscience? Detectives Document Offences, They Do Not Commit Them

Freddie Schürheck: “With your job exposing people, you’re really putting them in trouble, right? For example, if they lose their job. Don’t you ever feel guilty?”

Patrick Kurtz: “As private or corporate detectives, we didn’t commit the offence ourselves; we just documented it. We merely observed what happened and, in the end, are not responsible for what follows.”

Freddie Schürheck: “Patrick Kurtz is tough and a private detective in Cologne – fitting for our topic today: ‘exposed.’ Patrick, thank you!”

Patrick Kurtz: “My pleasure.”

Kurtz Detective Agency Cologne

Zülpicher Straße 58D

D-50674 Köln | Cologne

Tel.: +49 221 4558 0377

E-Mail: kontakt@kurtz-detektei-koeln.de  

Web: https://www.kurtz-detektei-koeln.de/en

Google: https://g.page/kurtz-detektei-koeln

Origins of the Detective Profession

The word "detective" derives from the Latin detegere (to uncover, reveal) and was used from the early 19th century—possibly even the 18th century—in Great Britain for official investigators who, in order to remain inconspicuous, mingled with the public in plain clothes. In the early stages of their work, these undercover officers enjoyed considerable popularity among the population, as their successes were often groundbreaking. The first representatives of this profession, and thus the precursors to Kurtz Investigations Cologne, were the London Bow Street Runners.

Private Investigations and Official Law Enforcement in Germany Remain Strictly Separate

The cradle of the detective profession therefore lies in Britain. Unfortunately, a similar blending and cooperation between detectives and the “official” police has never taken place satisfactorily in Germany. The scepticism of criminal authorities toward private detectives may be due, among other things, to the glorification of the profession by popular culture, which began even before the detective trade had really established itself in Germany — a decisive difference from Britain, the United States and also France, where private investigators were sometimes employed considerably earlier. In addition, under Article 20 of the Basic Law the monopoly on the use of force lies solely with the state in the Federal Republic of Germany, and matters of public security therefore fall under the remit of the official investigative authorities. Close cooperation between private detectives and investigative authorities is consequently not envisaged by the constitution.

The field of activity of private detectives in Cologne and Germany therefore covers those areas where facts or suspicions exist that are initially not of public interest or are not assessed as such by the investigative authorities. This includes, among other things, the investigation of offences committed by employees of a company (sick-pay fraud, theft, embezzlement etc.), but also many matters of a private nature: infidelity in relationships, searches for missing persons, debtor tracing, undisclosed income in maintenance calculations and much more.

Not Lone Wolves: The Detectives Of Kurtz Detective Agency Cologne Work Fundamentally In Teams

Crime novels and films have long portrayed the private detective as a brilliant, unusually gifted solo super-detective who solves cases alone by virtue of observation and reasoning. That this occurs in practice only very rarely and that teamwork has always been the basis of successful investigative work is often overlooked. The detectives of Kurtz Detective Agency Cologne, for their part, rely on intensive networking with excellent contacts and colleagues from other detective agencies in order to achieve the best possible result for you.

Kurtz Detective Agency Cologne

Zülpicher Straße 58D

D-50674 Köln | Cologne

Tel.: +49 221 4558 0377

E-Mail: kontakt@kurtz-detektei-koeln.de  

Web: https://www.kurtz-detektei-koeln.de/en

Google: https://g.page/kurtz-detektei-koeln

Of course, our Cologne detectives could have conducted a full surveillance operation to trace a possible stalker or dispel the suspicion. In this case, however, the private detectives at Kurtz Detective Agency Cologne decided together with Luisa H. to take a different initial step, especially considering her limited student budget: since she had noted the license plate, Luisa had carefully recorded it in full. Our Cologne detectives then offered to conduct a vehicle registration check first. This procedure costs €180—significantly less than full surveillance—and can ideally already yield the desired insights and results, as it did for Luisa H.

Research by the investigators at Kurtz Detective Agency Cologne at the responsible registration authority in Hofheim am Taunus revealed that the car belonged to a certain Steffen G., actually residing in Königstein. When our Cologne private investigators contacted Luisa H. four days after receiving the assignment to review the results together, her expression brightened—she recognized the man and could now understand what had been happening: Steffen G. had already been almost obsessively in love with her during school and apparently still liked to linger persistently nearby. Although he was harmless, according to Luisa H., our Cologne investigators considered such matters not to be taken lightly and offered to confront Steffen G. Luisa thanked them but chose to handle it herself. She left our Cologne detective agency visibly relieved, knowing that our offer naturally remained available.

Three weeks later, Luisa H. returned to our Cologne agency. She explained that immediately after her last visit, she had confronted Steffen G. via Facebook, which apparently worked: since then, she had neither heard from him nor seen the BMW again and could finally sleep peacefully. She expressed her gratitude to our Cologne private detectives. She also reported feeling carefree and much more open now, having already made several new acquaintances at university. The detectives of Kurtz Detective Agency Cologne are pleased to have helped with a simple vehicle registration check and wish Luisa H. all the best for the future!

All names and locations have been changed to ensure full anonymity for the client and the subject of investigation.

Kurtz Detective Agency Cologne

Zülpicher Straße 58D

D-50674 Köln | Cologne

Tel.: +49 221 4558 0377

E-Mail: kontakt@kurtz-detektei-koeln.de  

Web: https://www.kurtz-detektei-koeln.de/en

Google: https://g.page/kurtz-detektei-koeln

Mr R. is the managing director of an otherwise solid GmbH specialising in boat sales. He approached the detectives of Kurtz Investigations Cologne because the former managing director of the GmbH was due to leave the company at the end of the month, yet for some time had not been adequately performing his field-sales duties and moreover refused to hand over the company laptop and the company vehicle valued at €40,000. In addition, a boat from the company’s sales stock was in the possession of this former managing director, which he vehemently denied.

Initial discrepancies between the client of our corporate detectives in Cologne and the target person (TP) had emerged when Mr R. examined the TP’s books. It quickly became apparent that the TP had neglected his work for years and had steered the GmbH into extremely precarious waters. To keep the boat from capsizing, the client of our Cologne detectives stripped the TP of authority and reassigned him to field sales. The TP reacted so poorly to this that he almost entirely ceased working, only occasionally attended appointments and refused all cooperation. Dismissal was the logical consequence. When it became clear that Mr R. would not be able to recover company property without external assistance, the corporate investigators of Kurtz Detective Agency Cologne were engaged.

The second line of enquiry concerning the boat hinged on the GPS tracker. While monitoring the movement data of the target vehicle, Kurtz Detective Agency Cologne analysed whether it had been parked near lakes or potential storage sites. During the observation period (four days) the TP did visit several locations of business partners of the client of our Cologne detective agency, although only very few of these had been agreed with the client. This gave rise to the additional suspicion that the TP was attempting to poach business partners. However, the client instructed the corporate detectives of Kurtz Investigations Cologne not to pursue that matter. The objective remained the boat. Nine locations that the target vehicle had visited and that could have served as storage sites were examined — all without success.

The Cologne detectives asked Mr R. to compile again all the information he could recall about the TP. Among the newly revealed facts there emerged a highly interesting detail: the TP still maintained good relations with a former business partner and lover who owned a sizeable estate in the commuter belt around Hagen. The colleagues at Kurtz Detective Agency Dortmund were therefore sent to that estate and, sure enough, the sought-after boat was plainly visible over the fence standing on an unsecured meadow. That same evening Mr R. travelled to Hagen and seized the boat in person. As the corporate detectives of Kurtz Investigations Cologne later learned, the handover of the company vehicle and the laptop occurred without further friction after Mr R. intercepted the TP during an unannounced visit to a business partner. According to the client of Kurtz Detective Agency Cologne, the TP presented a resigned demeanour.

All names and locations have of course been changed to ensure full anonymity for the client and the target person.

Kurtz Detective Agency Cologne

Zülpicher Straße 58D

D-50674 Köln | Cologne

Tel.: +49 221 4558 0377

E-Mail: kontakt@kurtz-detektei-koeln.de  

Web: https://www.kurtz-detektei-koeln.de/en

Google: https://g.page/kurtz-detektei-koeln

Kurtz Detective Agency Cologne

Zülpicher Straße 58D

D-50674 Köln | Cologne

Tel.: +49 221 4558 0377

E-Mail: kontakt@kurtz-detektei-koeln.de  

Web: https://www.kurtz-detektei-koeln.de/en

Google: https://g.page/kurtz-detektei-koeln

Due to numerous internal incidents within the company, Mr G. had received notice of ordinary termination of his employment. As early as the next working day, the Drieg Gütertransport GmbH (name fictitious), later the client of Kurtz Detective Agency Cologne, received Mr G.’s sick note. This was accepted – however transparent the action appeared. Yet the termination of the employee was linked to a six-month non-competition clause, meaning that Mr G. was not permitted to work in the same industry for a period of nine months (notice period plus non-competition clause).

After just a few days, the clients of our Cologne detectives noticed that they were hardly generating any new orders – and if they were, then only by post or via email. A review of the telephone line revealed that all calls to Drieg GmbH were being forwarded to a mobile phone number. When an employee of our clients called this mobile number, the voicemail activated after just a few seconds – without stating a name.

The clients of the corporate investigators of Kurtz Detective Agency Cologne informed the telephone company and had the call forwarding blocked. Nevertheless, the lines remained silent in the days that followed. Long-standing clients also no longer answered calls and never returned them. Losses already ran into the thousands within these first few days.

Two weeks later, the employees of Drieg GmbH also discovered that numerous transport containers and even a lorry had disappeared from the company premises. Due to numerous previous incidents, suspicion quickly fell on Mr G. The detectives of our Cologne corporate investigation division were engaged.

As a first step, our investigators conducted internet research, which quickly produced astonishing results: not only was Mr G. advertising his own transport company in his own name on numerous websites and portals, he had also created a new online presence in the name of the company Drieg, whose contact number was precisely the one to which all calls to Drieg had been forwarded.

Further enquiries revealed that Mr G. had not even registered a business. In addition, he was receiving unemployment benefit despite still receiving wages from Drieg GmbH in accordance with the notice period.

The clients of our Cologne detectives filed a criminal complaint and demanded injunctive relief.

The facts gathered up to this point alone would have been sufficient for an indictment. However, the clients of Kurtz Corporate Investigation Cologne wanted to know the full extent, and so surveillance of Mr G. was initiated. Our Cologne corporate investigators positioned themselves at dawn on the access roads to the target person’s residence.

At around 07:00, Mr G. left the residential address in his private car and drove to a nearby car park, where he got into a lorry – identical in type to the missing vehicle of our clients. On the loading area was a container whose shape and colour exactly matched the stolen one. The circumstantial evidence would already have been sufficient at this point to involve the police. However, the detectives of Kurtz Detective Agency Cologne were instructed to continue the surveillance. After all, Drieg wanted to know which clients had been poached.

What followed was a day-long trip through the Rhineland, during which containers were repeatedly unloaded and loaded at various locations. Many of these destinations were company premises of clients of Drieg GmbH.

After the target person parked the lorry back at the car park in the evening and returned to the residential address in his private car, our Cologne corporate investigators proceeded to the lorry for a closer inspection. The vehicle identification number matched that of the missing Drieg vehicle. Once again, our Cologne detectives wished to notify the police, but Drieg GmbH requested a further day of surveillance.

The previous day’s activities were repeated. Although mostly different addresses were visited, the general procedure was the same, meaning that the intelligence gain on the second day was rather limited – until the target person met three individuals and suddenly drove with them to the residential address of the managing director of Drieg GmbH. This was a narrow street, which the target person completely blocked with the lorry.

Together with the three other individuals, Mr G. positioned himself in front of the residence, rang the doorbell repeatedly and, when there was no response, shouted hateful tirades through the neighbourhood: what the managing director thought he was doing reporting Mr G. to the authorities; why he was such a “cowardly pig” and did not show himself; that he would personally drag him out of the house if necessary.

The corporate investigators of Kurtz Detective Agency Cologne observed and documented the actions precisely from both ends of the street and remained in constant telephone contact with the managing director of Drieg GmbH. At this time, he was still on the company premises – the house was empty, and the target person was therefore shouting at bare walls. It was agreed that the time had now come to inform the police.

Shortly afterwards, the officers secured the stolen lorry and detained Mr G. and his three “accomplices”.

The detectives of Kurtz Detective Agency Cologne concluded the operation and expressed their astonishment at the intuition of the managing director, who, due to his insistence on extending the operation by one additional day, had effectively been presented with a legal festival.

Based on the data contained in the investigation report, the clients of Kurtz Detective Agency Cologne subsequently contacted the apparently poached customers. It emerged that Mr G. had continued to present himself to them as an employee of Drieg, carried out deliveries in the company’s name and issued invoices to the company address of our clients – with only the bank account number having changed.

Claims for damages and injunctive relief are in preparation.

All names and locations have, of course, been completely altered to ensure the protection of the client and the target person.

Kurtz Detective Agency Cologne

Zülpicher Straße 58D

D-50674 Köln | Cologne

Tel.: +49 221 4558 0377

E-Mail: kontakt@kurtz-detektei-koeln.de  

Web: https://www.kurtz-detektei-koeln.de/en

Google: https://g.page/kurtz-detektei-koeln

All names and locations have of course been completely anonymised in the interests of protecting both the client and the target person.

Kurtz Detective Agency Cologne

Zülpicher Straße 58D

D-50674 Köln | Cologne

Tel.: +49 221 4558 0377

E-Mail: kontakt@kurtz-detektei-koeln.de  

Web: https://www.kurtz-detektei-koeln.de/en

Google: https://g.page/kurtz-detektei-koeln